Wescot credit Services

[Ohgawd]

Gee Hi everyone

i don't really know where to start here so I guess i'll try from the begining.

In 2001 I left my husband and as all the debts (credit cards, overdrafts etc) were in my sole name, and to get him to agree to a divorce with no messy court fights I accepted all the debts. /sigh

Obviously being disabled and on income support with 2 great kids I fell very quickly into seriously bad debt.

I set up a deal with a company (cant even remember who they were :/ ) to pay a set amount to each company each month. It went well for about 2 whole months but £125 a month out of income support was hell to say the least. I did try to get them to lower the payments but they refused saying id accepted the terms.

With no money, no means of paying it back like i wanted to I did a stupid thing.......I moved home, changed my name and like a spineless wonder I hid.

For nearly 6 years i've pretty much lived like a hermit making no friends in fear of people finding out about my past.

Today I got the bombshell ive been trying to hide from all these years.

I demand for thousands from an overdraft with Abbey national.

I dont know how they have found me, but they have.

They want full payment of £2500 or I go to court.

The thoughts of bailiffs coming into my home and taking my kids things is driving me to thoughts of suicide. If they have found me for this one, i expect the rest to find me too.

Can they do this? please give me some advice. I dunno where to turn

[clutchingatstraws]

Don't panic yet.

 

a couple of questions first'

 

When you say nearly six years can you remember when exactly the last payment was made on the account?

 

How did they contact you by phone or letter?

 

Have you answered any communications?

[Ohgawd]

Thanks for replying,

 

I can't remember the exact dates, all i can remember was it was summer 2002 when I paid the last payment to the company who were making my payments

to the company's I owed the money too.

 

I have not replied to this letter from Wescot at all.

Do i reply and offer to try and pay what I can to them from my income support? I do get disability living allowance too but this is for my car as I have to go to hospital regular and its 120 miles trip.

I'm scared if i dont offer enough they will take me to court or if i offer to pay so much then all the others find me......... Why o why was i so dumb :?

[clutchingatstraws]

Don't be daft almost everyone here has been through this mill but after they find this site start taking control.

 

The chances are that they have trawled through all sorts of places to find your name and sent out a dozen letters to Ohgawd at different addresses to see if they can get a reply.

 

The court threat is meant to panic you into contacting them.

 

Can you scan and post the letter with all identifying features removed.

 

They cannot at this stage take you to court so don't panic.

 

You will need some more opinions on this but I would not be contacting them at this stage.

[Curlyben]

First NEVER talk to these "people" on the phone as they will try and get you to agree to anything.

I would make Wescott prove that this debt is indeed yours for starters.

 

Edit as needed.

 

Dear Sir/Madam

 

You have contacted me/us regarding the account with the above reference number, which you claim is owed by myself/ourselves.

 

I/we would point out that I/we have no knowledge of any such debt being owed to (insert company name).

 

I am/we are familiar with the Office of Fair Trading Debt Collection Guidance which states that it unfair to send demands for payment to an individual when it is uncertain that they are the debtor in question.

 

I/we would also point out that the OFT say under the Guidance that it is unfair to pursue third parties for payment when they are not liable. In not ceasing collection activity whilst investigating a reasonably queried or disputed debt you are using deceptive/and or unfair methods.

 

Furthermore ignoring and/or disregarding claims that debts have been settled or are disputed and continuing to make unjustified demands for payment amounts to physical/psychological harassment.

 

I/we would ask that no further contact be made concerning the above account unless you can provide evidence as to my/our liability for the debt in question.

 

I/we await your written confirmation that this matter is now closed. Otherwise I will have no option but to make a complaint to the trading standards department and consider informing the OFT of your actions.

 

I/we look forward to your reply.

 

Yours faithfully

[Ohgawd]

I have just this minute received another demand from them.

The other one came 2 weeks ago and gave me until 7th Oct 2007 to pay

I've only found this site, thats why I havnt posted sooner.

 

I dont have a scanner but this is what this one says

 

Westcot Credit Services Ltd

Po.box 137

Dunedin House

45 Percy st

Hull HU2 8HF

CLIENT: Wescot-Abbey

 

Wescot ref: **/******** Client ref: ************

 

FINAL NOTICE

 

Despite previous correspondence a balance still remains outstanding on the above debt.

Unless you make payment of £2,400,70 within the next 14 days a CLAIM FORM/SUMMONS may be lodged with HULL COUNTY COURT or the local SHERIFF COURT fore residents in Scotland and subsequently issued to you for payment of the outstanding balance plus all legal expenses

 

Amount Claimed* £2,400,70

Legal Expenses £200.00

Total amount £2,600,70

PAYMENT IS DUE BEFORE 21 OCTOBER 2007

 

*statuary interest may also be claimed on the outstanding resulting in further increases to the total amount due

 

Calls may be monitored or recorded in order to improve our standard of service.

[Ohgawd]

First NEVER talk to these "people" on the phone as they will try and get you to agree to anything.

I would make Wescott prove that this debt is indeed yours for starters.

 

Edit as needed.

 

Thanks for replying,

 

Do I use my former name that they are using? Or my new name that i had changed by deed poll in 2002?

[Curlyben]

Use which ever name they refer to in their "demand"

[Ohgawd]

I'm a bit confused

 

I know the debt is mine, so why do I need to get the details and send a letter denying the debt when that would make me a liar? Wouldnt that look even worse for me in court?

 

Sorry, im all mixed up

[Curlyben]

The letter doesn't deny anything, simply states that you have no knowledge of a debt owning.

From your original post you where unclear as to the validity of this debt, so you are putting the DCA to strict proof that this alleged debt does indeed exist.

 

Look at it this way.

Do you owe a debt to WESCOTT ??

If I where to send you a letter saying you owed me £5,000 would you pay it without questioning it first ???

 

I hope this makes things clearer.

[Goldlady]

Hey, you have been though enough - stop panicking. If you deny the debt it is not because you didn't borrow the money (well from what you said you probably didn't anyway). But the Consumer Credit Act (the law of this land) says that if they can't prove you owe the money they cannot destroy your life to get it from you. Lots of lenders have not followed the correct procedures, they haven't got the right paperwork to take you to court and so denying the debt is not legally wrong:confused:. It sounds bad but..

 

In my situation I have lots of debt - and I mean lots:o. But one heck of a lot of it is what I call irresponsible lending - credit cards who increased your limit when you were only making the minimum payment and so on. The other thing which amazed me was when I worked out how much I had borrowed from each one and how much I had paid back, to find that I had actually repaid them in full and that all that was left was interest and charges.

[mrmarmite]

i know this naughty AND it dont fall under the cca, i had the with me mrs and abbey, i sent a cca for hell of it and all i got back was a letter saying "We have closed this account on our system"

that wan Jan this year, (this was when i claiming charges back) I not herd a peep since so it will help to buy time on your side

[Ohgawd]

The letter doesn't deny anything, simply states that you have no knowledge of a debt owning.

From your original post you where unclear as to the validity of this debt, so you are putting the DCA to strict proof that this alleged debt does indeed exist.

 

Look at it this way.

Do you owe a debt to WESCOTT ??

If I where to send you a letter saying you owed me £5,000 would you pay it without questioning it first ???

 

I hope this makes things clearer.

 

Ok thanks and yes it does. I'm sorry my first post was so jumbled.

I do owe the debt and quite a few more. I ran away and hid like a dummy.

Somehow after 5 years Wescot have found me and I'm guessing if i respond to them that they will contact the others i owe money to aswell?

[Curlyben]

Hence the reason why you MUST put these debts to strict proof that they are indeed valid and enforceable.

[Goldlady]

Will you please stop panicking. I have - wait for it - (drum roll) - 80,000 of debts which I can't pay. Thanks to all the fab people on this site I am slowly finding that most of it is not enforceable. That is not to say that I am a dishonest person - I am not - but most of this debt is due to business problems (and irresponsible lending as I mentioned before) and not flash foreign holidays - my passport expired about 15 years ago.

 

I was so close to declaring myself bankrupt until I got help on here.

 

Please do not feel guilty and do not let anyone destroy your life. You are amongst friends and we are all here to help, in whatever way we can.

 

Goldlady

[Ohgawd]

Will you please stop panicking. I have - wait for it - (drum roll) - 80,000 of debts which I can't pay. Thanks to all the fab people on this site I am slowly finding that most of it is not enforceable. That is not to say that I am a dishonest person - I am not - but most of this debt is due to business problems (and irresponsible lending as I mentioned before) and not flash foreign holidays - my passport expired about 15 years ago.

 

I was so close to declaring myself bankrupt until I got help on here.

 

Please do not feel guilty and do not let anyone destroy your life. You are amongst friends and we are all here to help, in whatever way we can.

 

Goldlady

 

Thanks for this

I will try to stop panicking but 5 years of worry have all balled up and hit me like a truck.

I was thinking about going bankrupt before they all jump on me like a ton of bricks but I dont even have the £500 ive been told it costs to do it.

I think with all the debts added up and 5 years of interest im looking at about £10,000. They were mostly from home improvements and not flash cars or holidays. If I could turn back the hands of time......

[Tezcatlipoca]

To echo what others have already said, the first step of getting this sorted is not to panic (if you do, you may do something rash and silly like actually giving these parasites some money ).

 

I recently had a similar bombshell when a DCA contacted me out of the blue for a 13 year old 'debt'. Thanks solely to the fantastic people on this website, a month and three letters later the DCA crumpled and decided I wasn't worth chasing after.

 

Send Curlyben's letter, making sure you send it recorded delivery, and let us know Westcott's answer.

[cerberusalert]

As others have said, don't worry! Look on the positive side of the situation. You have now found literally hundreds of very good friends on this site, that a few days ago you never knew you had!

 

You'll begin to participate in the ever growing sport of "DCA baiting" & believe me, you will actually begin to enjoy it & even look forward to their letters! It's like a game of chess, we'll explain the rules & show you moves. Sit back, relax, fasten your seatbelt & enjoy the ride. It'll be better than any big dipper!

[ODC]

Westcott are full of crap. The letter you received is a standard one that they send ouit its designed to scare you into ringing them and making an offer of payment that you cannot afford.

 

I am sorry to here you have even thought of suicide over debt. They are not worth it. Your family are more important than a couple of ill bred moron in a DCA call centre.

 

Send bens letter. You will find that the idiots do not have proof of any debt.

 

If of course they are lucky enough to come up with a properly executed credit agreement what is the worst thing that could happen to you you?? You may be made to pay what you owe?? So what. In view of your circumstances you would only ever be asked to pay a token amount.

 

That is the worst thing that could happen to you. They cant put you in prison or take your car.

 

The most likely thing that will happen is that westcot will be unable to prove the debt and will eventually leave you alone.

 

Remember you are among friends here. We have all been in the depths of despair at one time or another over debt and felt as you do. Stick with us and we will show you these idiots can be beaten. Read over some of the threads and you will discover you are not alone and the nasty letters you get are just the same as I have got and all the others on here have got and dealt with rather succesfully.

 

You, your health and family are the most important things in life and do not let and DCA get you down again.

[ScarletPimpernel]

I suspect that all of us here have experienced a range of reactions to the antics of DCAs - panic, dreading the phone ringing or the post arriving, shame, guilt, embarrassment and all the rest. These normal feelings are, of course, what DCAs hope to exploit.

 

Earlier this year, as part of my job, I completed a suicide intervention course. Debt was amongst the top causes of suicide (or thoughts of suicide). Indeed, the last case I dealt with involved debt.

 

Anyway, Ohgawd, as others have said you are most certainly amongst friends here. Be assured that before long you will regain your confidence and be back in control. In the meantime, feel free to pm me in complete confidence if you feel it's all becoming too much.

[Ohgawd]

Thanks all for words of support. It really does make me feel more positive.

I have mailed the letter that Ben set out to Wescot this morning by recorded delivery.

I wonder if they read these forums too

[B.A.Ts]

you can bet your bottom dollar that they read these sites, thats why it is best to not use personal details etc...keep your chin up hun it will turn out ok in the end

Im still awaiting for information from wescots that I have asked for.. that was over a month ago and still not heard a peep from them

Im also disabled and just coping with a disability is hard enough but then you get muppets like these come along and just make things worse for you.. but try not let it ok... *hug*

[ODC]

They read but never seem to learn anything, They still come out with the same stock replies and empty threats

[Ohgawd]

A quick question as I bite my nails off with worry........

 

Do they have a set time to answer my letter?

[Hippy-chick]

Ohgawd

 

I doubt they'll answer it - and they'll continue to bully you by any means they can.

 

Just remember - the onus is now on them to PROVE that you owe THEM money. Now, I know that you are saying that you owe money - but is it to these folk? They have to prove that.

 

I know it's hard, but you have to sit tight. Do not acknowledge this debt. Above all, do not talk to them on the phone.

 

They are still not offering any proof that this debt is owed by you or that they have any authority to collect this debt.

 

Keep posting here. We've all been through it, or are going through it. You'll get through this. It is truly horrible at the time, I know, with all the worry. But just remember, we're all here to help you.

 

Sleep well

 

xx